Education and care for children with disabilitiesMakueni October 8 - October 27, 2017

Volunteer project: Volunteer in Makueni County in Eastern Kenya and work with physically handicapped children. The institution consists of a school and a home, which has been in existence since 1994. A Primary School and a Catholic Church surround this home, which currently houses 20 physically handicapped children. These kids are boys and girls aged between 10 to 19 years. They have suffered accidents, snakebites and Polio or were handicapped at birth, among other causes.

The idea of this project is to make a difference in the life of children and young adults with special needs and disabilities in order to become self-reliant and integrated into mainstream life without fear of stigmatization.

Volunteer duties:
• Teaching the disabled children various subjects (Mathematics, English, etc)
• Care giving services, including: washing, cooking, serving, feeding and cleaning
• Organizing extra-curricular activities, like sports, debates for the children
• Working in the farm of the home to improve farm output

Leisure activities: Volunteers can visit Machakos town, which is about 1 hour drive from the project. You can view Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro, from the home and you can experience the traditional Akamba homes built by the Kamba people.

Language: English

Arrival and orientation: All volunteers will be picked up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. Accommodation will be arranged before and after the project in a host family in the Buruburu area of Nairobi.

There will be a one-day orientation for all participants the day before the project starts.

Accommodation: Accommodation will be at the project site and it is important that you have your own sleeping bag and mat.

Location: Makueni County

Terminal: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi

Age range: 18 and over

Extra fee: 265 Euros
The extra fee is intended to support the local host of the project who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival.

Ecovillage living on Rusinga IslandHoma Bay November 5 - November 24, 2017

Volunteer project: The Eco Village on Rusinga Island aims to bring change to the lives of local people who face challenges such as food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and lack of education, among other pressing issues. It also seeks to inspire change in the general paradigms of local population towards a more holistic and responsible way of living. The Eco Village promotes permaculture farm techniques and ethics: Earth care, care for people and sharing the surplus. It is a model farm, or epicenter, for both sustainable agriculture and holistic community development. The Eco Village successfully hosted a Permaculture Development Course in March 2011 and aims to become an International Permaculture Center.

The project aims at promoting and demonstrating sustainable practices in food production and community development, guided by the ethics and principles of permaculture.

The volunteer tasks include:
• Mulching, seeding, harvesting and planting
• Beach cleanup exercises
• Soil conservation and tree planting within the school compound
• Support needy and elderly community members with general cleaning and other related works

Leisure activities: Sites of interest are the neighboring Mfangano Island and the Rhuma National Park.

Language: English

Arrival and orientation: All volunteers will be picked up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. Accommodation will be arranged before and after the project in a host family in the Buruburu area of Nairobi.

There will be a one-day orientation for all participants the day before the project starts.

Accommodation: Accommodation will be at the project site and it is important that you have your own sleeping bag and mat.

Location: Rusinga Island, Homa Bay County

Terminal: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi

Age range: 18 and over

Extra fee: 265 Euros
The extra fee is intended to support the local host of the project who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival.

Supporting the Busia communityBusia November 29 - December 15, 2017

Volunteer project: The population of Busia is affected by serious health and social problems. Apart from HIV/AIDS as the main problem, there are also other issues such as an increased number of orphans and vulnerable children and jiggers menace because of parents’ death from HIV/AIDS. Most orphans whose parents had died from HIV/AIDS are infected by jiggers, as a result of poor care. In general, these children lack health care, shelter, education and clothing among others.

A few trained local volunteers from Butula decided to establish a self-help group in order to address the above mentioned issues. The group operates within Butula Sub County, focusing on health and community development.

The volunteers in this project will help with making bricks, repairing houses of elderly people and establishing a tree nursery.

Leisure activities: Volunteers can visit Kakamega rain forest and Lake Victoria in Kisumu City, which are about a 1:30h drive respectively from the project.

Language: English

Arrival and orientation: All volunteers will be picked up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. Accommodation will be arranged before and after the project in a host family in the Buruburu area of Nairobi.

There will be a one-day orientation for all participants the day before the project starts.

Accommodation: Accommodation will be at the project site and it is important that you have your own sleeping bag and mat.

Location: Busia County

Terminal: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi

Age range: 18 and over

Extra fee: 265 Euros
The extra fee is intended to support the local host of the project who does not have sufficient funds. It is due upon arrival.